44 years ago today my mother gave birth to me!

I am writing this has it shows up. My mother kept telling me that I needed to go see my granny. I was in my late twenties or early thirties and had not seen her in many years. Granny's health had started to decline and she had moved in with my aunt Betty ( her youngest daughter) and my uncle Micheal (aunt Bettys husband) in Houston Texas. I was having a hard time in California so I decided that the change would do me good. Aunt Betty was loving Sade and Kenny G, Uncle Micheal was being Uncle Micheal, Michelle was busy turning out cakes for Houston's finest and Tylan had not yet had his first haircut. Granny's room was on the east side of the house and outside her bedroom window there was a big green back yard and flowers. Granny loved flowers.

As a youngster I spent several summers with my granny and one of her sisters in the country; Chilton Texas. I remember very fondly; cutting out paper dolls from the sears catalog, drinking tea out of aluminum cups, those red or green iron lawn chairs, feeding the hogs, being afarid of the mice, watching the young and the restless, playing in the big aluminum wash tub or the sprinklers on a hot day, having to wash my feet before getting in the bed at night, the dirt road, grand daddy long leg spiders, my cousin bubba, okra, greens and hot water cornbread and sitting on the back porch eatting bright red watermellon with jet black seeds....such a sticky situation!

My granny took me on my first road trip at the age of six.  My Uncle Johnny, her oldest son,  had moved to JacksonVille Florida and granny and I rode the greyhound bus from Waco Texas to Jacksonville Florida to visit him and his family. Granny packed us friend chicken, sharp cheeder chesse, saltine crackers, summer sausage, snacks, sodas and made sandwiches for the trip  "Are we there yet"? This memory brings tears to my eyes; tears of joy and gratitude.

This Blogg is dedicated to my Granny Jennie Mae Kirkpatrick

Where would I be if it were not for the love of my ancsetors.  My granny was one of  ten children. Granny was born in Chilton Texas in the early 1900's as were all her siblings. Slavery was behind her and the civil rights movement was on the horizon. She had five brothers and four sisters. She gave birth to four children. Two boys and two girls.Two of her children were fathered by Johnny Reed and the other two were fathered by Floyd Griffin. My mother is her second child and her oldest daughter.